Evidence-Based Decision Making in School District Central Offices: Toward a Policy and Research Agenda
Item
Title
Evidence-Based Decision Making in School District Central Offices: Toward a Policy and Research Agenda
Abstract/Description
District central office administrators increasingly face policy demands to use “evidence” in their decision making. These demands up the ante on education policy researchers and policy makers to better understand what evidence use in district central offices entails and the conditions that may support it. To that end, the authors conducted a comprehensive review of research literature on evidence use in district central offices, finding that the process of evidence use is complex, spanning multiple subactivities and requiring administrators to make sense of evidence and its implications for central office operations. These activities have significant political dimensions and involve the use of “local knowledge” as a key evidence source. Evidence use is shaped by features of the evidence itself and various organizational and institutional factors. Policy shapes evidence use, but other factors mediate its impact. The authors conclude with implications for future policy and research on central office evidence-based decision making.
Author/creator
Date
In publication
Volume
22
Issue
4
Pages
578-608
Resource type
Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
Published Text
Scholarship genre
Synthesis/Overview
IRE Approach/Concept
Primary national context
ISSN
0895-9048
Citation
Honig, M. I., & Coburn, C. (2008). Evidence-Based Decision Making in School District Central Offices: Toward a Policy and Research Agenda. Educational Policy, 22(4), 578–608. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904807307067
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